Making Meaning with Benjamin Lowder
Welcome back to “Work in Progress,” the Untitled Fine Art blog! This week, we’ll cover Benjamin Lowder’s exhibition, Meaning Making. This solo exhibition opened April 13th, just days after the solar eclipse, and features works inspired by the eclipse and other elements of nature. From a young age, Lowder has been fascinated by patterns. One of his earliest memories is of creating a geometric, mandala-like pattern out of loose change on the coffee table. Today, his interest in patterns, symbology, and geometry manifests in his artistic practice.
Meaning Making installation view
Crossroads Eclipse Totem, 64in x 16in, reclaimed wood and vintage metal signage
Using materials such as vintage metal signs and reclaimed architectural elements, Lowder creates complex assemblages that subvert and transform the familiar consumerist advertising tropes into new signs or symbols – those that point the viewer back to nature. The petals of a flower, a pinecone, and even water molecules are all structured in the golden ratio, which scientist and visual artist Mae-Wan Ho refers to as “the magic number woven into the fabric of the universe and consciousness.”
Meaning Making installation view
Inspired by this sacred geometry and the geodesic domes of architect Buckminster Fuller, Lowder transmutes his source material to create new artifacts that not only evoke nostalgia but also draw upon ancient wisdom to support a prosperous, abundant future. “You never change things by fighting the existing reality,” said Fuller. “To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” The transformation these objects undergo is what gives them new meaning. Change gives them their power.
Left: Down at the Crossroads, 50in x 19in, reclaimed wood, vintage metal signage, wind-tattered flag | Right: Witness at the Crossroads, 54in x 20in, reclaimed wood
Plunging us into darkness, eclipses can also represent change. In astrology, eclipses occur when the moon is near the north or south node – points associated with fate or destiny. As one of nature’s most dramatic occurrences, eclipses urge us to look within and examine parts of our lives and ourselves we may need to change, shaking us out of complacency. Lowder’s work has a similar effect, breaking the spell of advertising and transforming the familiar into totems that are simultaneously new and timeless.
To celebrate, we held an opening reception on April 13th, as well as an artist talk on April 28th. We had a great turnout, and are so appreciative of everyone who came!
Photo: Blake Detherage
Photo: Blake Detherage
Benjamin Lowder’s Meaning Making will be on view until June. Stay tuned for news regarding upcoming shows, and thanks for reading!